Metro Sports Report

Cougars deserve cheers, not jeers

It would be easy to make fun of the Kennedy Cougars for making the Class 4A football playoffs with a 2-7 record, but that would be a big mistake.

First of all, the Kennedy players are not responsible for the new district format this year that made it possible for 2-7 clubs to advance. Administrators did that, not the athletes.

Secondly, the Cougars should be applauded for sticking with it and playing hard after a rough 0-6 start. They had to adjust to a new head coach and new offensive scheme, and they lost a couple of games they could have - maybe should have - won.

Kennedy began the season with a 12-9 setback at Iowa City City when the Trojans threw a 33-yard touchdown pass on 4th-and-15 with 1:59 left in the game. Four weeks later, the Cougars missed a 33-yard field on the final play of the fourth quarter and fell to Jefferson, 27-24, in overtime

Two weeks ago, the Cougars scored a touchdown with 71 seconds left against Cedar Falls to pull within 21-20, but they unable to convert a two-point conversion and lost by a single point.

RoughRiders net 500th win in team history

The Cedar Rapids RoughRiders were a happy bunch of guys Saturday night after they captured the 500th victory in team history.

The RoughRiders topped Sioux Falls, 4-2, in a USHL game before 2,567 fans at the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena and celebrated the milestone victory in their locker room.

Coach Mark Carlson has been with the RoughRiders since the successful franchise began 16 years ago and he spread credit throughout the organization.

"As I told the guys, I've been fortunate to be here since Day 1," he said. "I really look at it as the organization's 500th win, the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders' 500th win in team history. To be a part of that is pretty cool.

"You don't win any hockey games without real good people and real good players and assistant coaches and trainers and equipment people and great owners," he remarked. "So I've been fortunate to be around all of that."

The RoughRiders have gotten off to a fast 7-1 start for 14 points this season. They are tied with Muskegon for first place in the Eastern Conference, but Muskegon (7-3) has played two more games than Cedar Rapids.

Kohawks drubbed by Central, 45-21

The Coe College football team appeared to be in good shape at the tail end of the first Saturday against Central College, but everything went haywire from there.

The visiting Dutchmen spanked the Kohawks, 45-21, in an Iowa Conference game that became more lopsided as the lovely fall afternoon went along.

Coe led, 14-10, and was driving for more points when quarterback Josh Rekers overshot a receiver and was intercepted with 1:22 left in the second quarter. Central quickly drove 69 yards the other way and took a 17-14 advantage at intermission and the game slipped away from there.

Central (5-2, 3-1) blitzed the Kohawks 28-7 in the second half and won easily.

It was the second straight lopsided defeat at Clark Field for Coe, which fell to 3-4 overall and 2-2 in the league. The Kohawks lost to Wartburg, 43-0, at home Oct. 11 and have been outscored 88-21 in their last two home games.

Pairings set for football playoffs

High school football coaches, players and fans had an extended Friday night as many stayed up late to catch the first glimpse of the 2014 playoffs.

The IHSAA posted the pairings at approximately 2 a.m. Saturday morning.

One of the most intriguing matchups in Class 4A will send Coach Mike Morrissey and the Prairie Hawks against Pleasant Valley. Morrissey played his high school football at Pleasant Valley for his father, Ed Morrissey.

Here are all the Metro pairings for the first-round games, which will be played Wednesday night at 7 p.m.

+ Top-ranked Washington hosts Clinton at Kingston Stadium in Class 4A.
+ Linn-Mar hosts Davenport Central at Linn-Mar Stadium in Class 4A.
+ Xavier entertains Charles City at Saints Field in Class 3A.
+ Jefferson visits second-ranked Bettendorf in Class 4A.
+ Kennedy visits Muscatine in Class 4A.
+ Prairie travels to Pleasant Valley in Class 4A.